MILWAUKEE — Residents across the Milwaukee area continue to clean up one week after historic flooding left extensive damage in its wake.
"Just take it one day at a time. That's all you can do," Christie Andrade told TMJ4.
Andrade lives on Milwaukee's northwest side. She has been running on fumes. Major damage hit her home after a basement wall crumbled in the flood.
"My whole foundation in my back wall caved in. We had to knock some more out. We need to call and get someone to repair the entire back wall. It is extremely costly," Andrade stated.
Watch: Residents continue clean up after historic flooding in the Milwaukee area
The single mother of three noted that insurance will not cover the damage. She started an online fundraiser. Andrade spends her days cleaning out the house with family and friends and getting costly estimates for repairs. Andrade was emotional as she showed TMJ4 News what was left of her home and sharing that she just made her last mortgage payment prior to the flood.
"Can't help but try to believe that this is happening for me and not to me. So maybe that things will be better than it was. I don't know," Andrade said.
The cleanup has been long and overwhelming.
In Milwaukee, the Department of Public Works reported on Saturday alone crews serviced 1,028 homes.
According to the City of West Allis flood recovery website, the city collected more than 300 tons of flood-damaged materials as of last Saturday.
In an email, a spokesperson for Waukesha County reported an estimated $63.7 million in private property damage.
"There's nothing you can do. All you can do is wait and wait for them to come," Milwaukee resident Larry Marchand said.
Marchand says his pile of debris has been waiting since last Monday. He is empathetic to the large volume of calls city crews face. However, he is concerned about what the next round of storms could bring.
"It's going to rain again. I hope it doesn't happen again," Marchand stated.
Multiple communities tell TMJ4 that crews are working extended shifts to help keep flood cleanup moving. They all say that recovery will take time, and it is not clear how long.
City officials across the area stressed that documentation is critical for assistance. They encouraged residents to report all storm damage by contacting 211.
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